Open Cage
by Unresolved Emotions
Summary: For her entire life, Sakura has clung desperately to her past, never believing that everything around her had changed. But when she and Naruto are sent on their final mission to retrieve Sasuke, the truths that are revealed undermine everything she had once believed in and force her to question the very purpose of her life.


I don't own Naruto or any of the characters.

* * *

**Open Cage**

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" She turned around, recognizing the exuberant voice. "Want to go to Ichiraku's?"

Sakura sighed; she had a long day working at the hospital, and dealing with Naruto would only add to her exhaustion. But they had a long-standing tradition of eating ramen together a few times a week, and Naruto always managed to distract her from her busy days. "Sure, but only if you pay, Baka."

The orange-clad ninja grinned, "So it's a date?"

She punched him in the shoulder, hard. "Nope." Walking towards Ichiraku's, Sakura smiled in satisfaction as Naruto jumped up and down in pain, clutching his abused body.

"Fine, fine," He pouted, running to catch up. "You're so mean, Sakura-chan."

It was not long before Naruto was his usual flamboyant self and began talking about anything and everything that crossed his mind. Sakura glanced at him from her seat in the ramen stand; nothing had changed about him. He was as loud and obnoxious as ever, but his meaningless chatter still soothed her frayed nerves.

"…and then we ambushed the rogues. But I rushed in too early and they noticed our presence. It was more difficult than it should've been, but we still won in the end. My captain wasn't too happy about that." Naruto laughed sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Are you listening, Sakura-chan?"

Her head snapped up from her food. "Sorry," Sakura said, "I've just had a long day at work."

"Ah, Baa-chan is overworking you again?"

"It's nothing I can't handle. You should show the Hokage some more respect, Naruto," She scolded.

Naruto just waved away her admonishment and inhaled his third bowl of ramen. Watching him eat so vigorously brought a small smile to her face. He had been eating several bowls of ramen a meal, several times a day, for several years; and still, he had not grown tired of the noodles. Sakura did not think she could eat the same thing for so long without getting sick of it.

"Let me walk you home, Sakura-chan," Naruto offered after they had finished their meal. "It's late and you look dead on your feet."

"I'll be fine," She half-heartedly rebuked; Sakura knew he would accompany her regardless of what she said. It was all just a normal routine for them: Naruto would ask her on a date, she would reject him, they would eat ramen together, and then he would walk her home. It was the one constant in Sakura's life, anchoring her to reality while everything changed around her.

True to form, Naruto walked alongside her despite Sakura's protests. They passed scant few people on the way to her house: it was late, as they had chatted away most of the evening. She could not help but feel a pang of unease as she surreptitiously observed her teammate from the corner of her eye. Everything was the same as it was years ago, yet their bond was starkly different. Naruto continued to revere the ground she walked on and always wore his famous grin. Sakura still punched him for being a baka and always rejected his dates. However, the feelings behind their friendship had evolved and only left muddled thoughts in her head.

"Here we are, Sakura-chan! I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Maybe," She replied nonchalantly. Sakura relented when her teammate pouted, "Okay, okay, I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto. Goodnight!"

She closed the door quickly, shutting out the familiarity that lurked outside. Sakura needed rest and her confusion was not helping her at all. Stumbling up the stairs and onto her bed, she massaged her temple gingerly, trying to quiet the voices.

She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

* * *

"Want to spar?" A male voice inquired as Sakura left the hospital. Looking around, she noticed Naruto leaning against a pole, presumably waiting for her. His arms were crossed and he wore his trademark smile, but his eyes were serious, as they always were when he trained.

"Sure, I could use a punching bag right about now," She teased. There was no better stress-reliever than punching the daylights out of Naruto. She had known this since Team Seven had formed so many years ago and Sakura had never missed an opportunity to send Naruto flying.

His grin faltered for a second before he mocked her back. "You'll have to land a hit on me then," Naruto said before bounding away towards the training grounds.

Sakura growled in annoyance as she chased him through Konoha. "When I catch you; you're dead!" She shouted at his receding figure.

The sun beat on her exposed neck as she and Naruto fought. Originally, there had been trees when they started, but her powerful punches had felled them one-by-one. Naruto glanced nervously from side to side as he assessed the situation. There was no more cover left to hide behind and Sakura was advancing menacingly with her fist shaking. "You're mine!"

The teammates lay on their backs, gasping for air, as they watched the sun set in the clear sky. Naruto had dodged several of her violent attacks before a right-hook connected with his face, effectively ending the battle. As always, Sakura healed his wounds before plopping herself on the ground next to him.

"Why'd you let me win, Naruto?" Sakura asked. She knew that he had been holding back, letting her attack mercilessly, ignoring the openings she had left.

"What?" He asked innocently, "I don't know what you're talking about, Sakura-chan."

"Don't lie to me, Baka. You could have ended the battle half-a-dozen times." Sakura raised her fist in threat, "Don't make me punch you again."

Naruto's eyes widened in fear, his hands held out pleadingly in front of him. "Wait, Sakura-chan, don't be hasty." She feinted and his hands rose to cover his face. "I saw that you were having a bad day. Your punches were particularly heavy today," He explained when Sakura stared at him blankly. "I thought you might want to release some of the tension."

Her shoulders sagged and her fist lowered. Grateful for his friendship, Sakura watched him slump in relief. "Thanks, Naruto." Sakura felt fortunate that her friend was willing to sacrifice himself to make her day a little better. But he had always done that, right?

She searched for any other wounds she might have inflicted on him during their sparring match. Healing Naruto had become an obligation to her: she healed him whenever he needed, and Naruto never allowed anyone but Sakura to tend to his injuries.

"Hmm, it's getting late," Her teammate observed, "Want to grab some dinner, Sakura-chan?"

"Not ramen again," Sakura groaned. If she kept eating with Naruto, her diet would kill her before a kunai did.

"Then you'll have to treat," Naruto countered easily, winking.

"Fine," She acquiesced reluctantly, "Ichiraku's it is. You're paying!"

* * *

They were walking through Konoha, looking at the different stores they passed. Sakura hated shopping with Naruto, and Naruto hated buying anything for himself, so they settled for window-shopping. "Aww man, I want those kunai so badly," Naruto whined, looking at a display case with decorative weapons.

"Then buy them," Sakura replied crossly.

"I can't! I need to save my money for important things. Like ramen!" He exclaimed, waving his hands wildly over his head, a desperate plea for attention. He had not changed in the slightest.

"Don't you have some extra money?" Sakura asked. Naruto completed enough missions to easily afford both ramen and some luxuries. But ever since she had known him, not once did the blond ninja ever decorate his small apartment, except with instant ramen of course.

"Nope."

"Then what the hell are you doing with your money, Baka?" She stared intensely at her teammate, harshly enough that her expression could be interpreted as a glare.

"It's a secret, Sakura-chan," Naruto answered, fingers laced behind his head. He was blissfully ignorant of the death stare she was giving him.

Sakura had been about to pummel the secret out of Naruto when a messenger appeared in front of them. "Naruto, Sakura! Lady Tsunade wants you in her office immediately." And with that, the messenger disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"I wonder what we did this time," The rash ninja grumbled.

"Let's go, Baka," Sakura sighed impatiently.

When they arrived at the Hokage's office, the tension emanating from Tsunade was palpable. Even Shizune seemed unsettled standing next to the Godaime. "Do you have a mission for us, Tsunade-sensei?" The pink-haired kunoichi asked.

Tsunade took a deep breath, her face unnaturally pale. "It's Sasuke."

"What?" They exclaimed in unison. Questions gushed out of their mouths in a disjointed, incoherent jumble. "Where? When? How many? Wha—"

The Hokage interrupted them with a wave of her hand. "He's waiting approximately two days north of here, though we don't know why."

"Let's grab Sai and Kakashi-sensei and get him back then," Naruto said, banging his fist on Tsunade's desk.

"Only you and Sakura will be going," She informed him. "The smaller the group, the better the chances of catching Sasuke unaware. You two know him the best, so you have the best chance of bringing him back to the village successfully."

"When do we leave?" Sakura asked, a confusing mix of emotions coursing through her. There was determination to retrieve their teammate, fear of what they might find, hope of the future, and sadness that their quest would be ending.

"Now," Tsunade said punctually. Naruto was already climbing through the window, Sakura right behind him, when the Hokage stopped them. "This is the last chance; I trust that you will settle this, one way or another."

Naruto gave her a long, hard glance before nodding resolutely. They jumped across the rooftops of Konoha in haste, eager to begin their final journey. Not a word was spoken between them while they prepared themselves, mentally and physically, for the trial that lay ahead. For Sakura, memories of the past haunted her steps. This would be the culmination of all her training, the end of her chase over the countless years.

They were jumping through the thick forest at a breakneck speed ever since they left Konoha. It was supposed to take two full days of travel before they reached Sasuke's location, but Naruto and Sakura had neglected to sleep and were on pace to reach their wayward friend in a day and a half. Only a few terse words were shared as they proceeded on the frantic quest. All of their energy was converted into speed, leaving no room for chatter. But whatever they might have said would have been forced, inane banter, circumventing the topic both dearly wished to discuss.

Finally, once they were within a few miles of their destination, Sakura broke the silence and said, "Naruto…We should rest here. It won't do us any good if we're too tired to fight."

She could see the indecision in Naruto's eyes as he bit his lip nervously. "You're right, Sakura-chan. We'll bring Sasuke back tomorrow, no matter what!"

Sakura could only nod with feigned enthusiasm. She wanted to share Naruto's confidence, but bitter memories of how strong and dark Sasuke had become poisoned her thoughts. How could she and Naruto, as strong as they were, hope to compete with Sasuke, the dark-haired genius?

The partners laid out their bedrolls, not daring to light a campfire. Their target was as cunning and brilliant as they come, so every precaution had to be taken, else they risk detection. They lay together in the darkness, mere feet separating their bodies.

"Hey, Sakura-chan?" Naruto's voice reached out tentatively.

She guessed that anxious thoughts plagued his mind, preventing him from falling asleep. "Yeah?"

"What's going to happen tomorrow?" His voice had an underlying current, one that Sakura could not identify.

"Sasuke's going to see us and realize how foolish he's been. Then he'll return to the village, of course," She sighed wistfully. That was an unrealistic dream, but it still felt better just to say it, to reassure her twelve-year old self that she had not been completely and utterly ignorant.

"And then the whole village will celebrate and everything will be right again," Naruto finished, playing along with her fantasy. Sakura could almost see his wide grin in the darkness.

Another long silence engulfed them before Naruto spoke again. "You know it's not going to be like that, right?" He asked softly, as if afraid of breaking her.

"Of course, Baka," Sakura retorted, irritated that Naruto believed her to be so naïve. "I'm not the same immature genin."

"Yeah…" His voice trailed off. "Me neither."

His words caught Sakura off-guard. She thought Naruto as the same annoying ninja that he had been when they were twelve: irritating, but always comforting. Sure, he had gotten stronger, very much so; but nothing else had changed, right? Everything between them was the same as it always had been.

His promise…Sakura knew that Naruto was still trapped in the iron cage that was his 'promise of a lifetime'. In the Land of Iron, she had desperately tried to persuade him to forget her silly wish, to free him of the shackles. But he had refused, infuriated with her, and was still caught in the bonds to this day.

"Naruto…You should have given up on your promise to me. All it's done is cause pain, to the both of us," Sakura paused, thinking of what to say. "You need to let go."

In the dim moonlight that cast mysterious shadows across the ground, she could see a small, sad smile tug at Naruto's lips. It was a smile that Sakura could never remember seeing on his ever-buoyant face. "You don't understand yet, Sakura-chan. You still don't get it."

The teammates turned away from each other, rolling onto their sides. _What _had Naruto meant? _What _did Sakura not understand? It was these questions that controlled her thoughts, causing her slumber to be fitful and unsatisfactory.

* * *

It was futile—and somewhere deep in her heart; Sakura knew that it always had been.

They woke early in the morning, their rest doing little to rejuvenate their energy and spirits. Sasuke was waiting for them, anticipating all of the preparations they made. He waited in front of a waterfall, his dark eyes ever blacker and emptier. That is where they found him, his sword drawn and feelings locked. They exchanged a few words, attempting to reason with their old friend. But Sakura could see it in Sasuke's eyes, could hear it in his voice; he was beyond their help and this fight would go to the death.

"Naruto, we can't help him any longer. He's not the same person that we remember…it took me a long time to realize that," She said quietly.

Her teammate looked into her eyes for a long moment before resigning himself to the inevitable. Sakura watched him grimace in disgust as he drew his kunai, knuckles white from frustration.

The battle was over quickly because Naruto had grown unbelievably strong, even stronger than Sasuke. The friendship he had formed with Kurama and the other tailed-beasts during his fight with Madara had strengthened him. It was frightening how much power he held, how not even the _great_ Sasuke Uchiha could match his steps.

It goes without saying of course, that Sakura had not waited around idly while Naruto single-handedly defeated their once friend and long-time foe. No, she assisted where she could, providing a suitable distraction with her massive strength and continually threatening Sasuke with her own skills.

But it was Naruto who drew most of the Uchiha's ire and it was Naruto who dealt the final blow, smashing Sasuke into the destroyed terrain. If Sakura had expected to see a weight lifted off Naruto's shoulders, she would be sorely disappointed. He looked the same as he had before the fight started, when there was still _hope._ Sakura wondered if she had remained the same as well.

They sat there for hours, cross-legged and moody. Sasuke's lifeless body lay before them, physical evidence that their struggle was over, at long last. Neither had shed a tear, which surprised Sakura tremendously. Sasuke had been her love for as long as she could remember. It just seemed _wrong_ that she could not cry for the person she loved. Naruto as well, had not cried for his old comrade. His self-proclaimed brother was dead and all he could do was stare grimly at the man who had once been his friend.

What kind of teammates were they?

"Sakura-chan…" His voice jolted Sakura from her stupor. "We should go now…"

Something inside of her snapped and broke her fragile temperament in two. "That's it? Sasuke dies and that's it?" Sakura was shouting now, pissed. So unbelievably pissed. "We've been chasing him for years and this is all that happens? He's dead, damnit!"

Naruto was staring at her, pity filling the lines on his face. "I'm sorry. I really am." Even he could not plaster a grin on his face this time.

"What happens now? Where do we go?" Sakura was still shouting, but sobs started to wrack her body. Her voice broke, "What are we supposed to do?" Her mind knew she was being illogical, but her heart refused to listen.

"I don't know," Naruto admitted, "I wish I could tell you, Sakura-chan." Something in his voice piqued her curiosity and she searched his eyes for truth, but found none, at least nothing that she could comprehend. She hung her head in defeat, half-formed tears dripping onto the ground. She was not even crying for Sasuke; she was crying for her loss of purpose.

"Let's go, Naruto," Sakura said blankly. She was in a daze, not _really_ seeing anything around her. She stood up and grabbed the dead body roughly by the collar. Summoning her last dredges of strength, she started jumping towards Konoha, limp body in tow.

* * *

"Hey, Forehead! Wait up!" Sakura heard as she walked down Konoha's streets. Ino caught up to her, her breath slightly ragged. "Where are you going?"

"To the library," She looked pointedly at the pile of books in her hands, "I've got to return these today."

"I'll come with you," Ino announced, falling in step with Sakura. "You know, you're making it really hard for anybody to talk to you."

In the following two months since Sasuke's death, Sakura had made herself scarce, invisible to the public eye. "I've been busy, Ino. The hospital has been working me hard."

"Only because you request the work," Her friend retorted. "Everyone's worried about you. Naruto especially."

Sakura let out a deep sigh. She knew it was unfair to all of her friends to worry them so, but she needed some space for the time being. "I'm fine; I'm not breaking down or anything."

"Oh really?" Ino's eyebrows rose in skepticism, "Then why are you avoiding us?"

The first week after the mission had been rough. She had essentially gone to work and then holed up inside her house afterwards. She imagined that Naruto had done the same; he was probably having a worse time of it than she was. "I need time to think. I need to figure what I'm supposed to be doing."

"Because Sasuke's gone now?"

The pink-haired kunoichi nodded, "Yeah, I've been chasing him my whole life. Now he's gone and I'm left with nothing."

Her blonde friend looked affronted, "You've got all your friends, Forehead!" All the nearby villagers gave them a wide berth. They had all heard whispers of what happened that fateful night two months ago. And Sakura's strength was legendary, almost as renowned as Tsunade's. Naturally, nobody wanted to be on the wrong end of that fist.

"I need a goal though, something to motivate me," Sakura explained. "I'm sure Naruto needs the same thing." While she had seen the rest of her comrades once or twice in the past couple of months, Sakura had avoided Naruto completely. The last time she saw him was when they briefed Tsunade on the mission report. He was just too close to the whole affair; it would be too painful to see him right now.

"Nah, Naruto is the same as usual," Ino informed her, "He's still bouncing up and down the streets. He seems…relieved…I guess."

It was probably all a farce. She knew Naruto could wear his smiles as a mask, but she knew him well enough to see through them. "Maybe he's trying to put up a strong front because the whole village depends on him now."

Her friend smirked and shook her head. "You're not the only one who can read Naruto. He definitely looks like some pressure has been lifted from his shoulders—Hell, he even bought himself a new apartment."

"A new apartment?" Sakura asked, stunned. Naruto had lived in the same rundown apartment since the Academy; it was inconceivable that he would ever move out.

"Yeah, apparently he's been saving money for quite awhile." Ino shrugged. "He deserves it too; he's worked so hard to get where he is now."

Sakura's mind whirled. Even Naruto had managed to move on with his life, putting the last memento of his youth behind him. What in the world was _she _doing? "I can't believe it…"

They came to the doors of the library and Ino opened it for Sakura. "Thanks, Ino-pig," She said. Sakura walked over to the 'return bin' and began to deposit her mountain of books. "You know, I never cried once over Sasuke."

"Didn't you love him?"

"I thought I did, but aren't you supposed to cry when your loved one dies?" This had been one of the primary thoughts ravaging her mind. It was second only to Naruto's mysterious words the night of the mission; _You don't understand yet, Sakura-chan. You still don't get it._ She wracked her brain, trying to understand his comment; but she always came up empty.

"Yeah—I didn't cry either, you know," Ino admitted. "But I got over Sasuke years ago. Maybe you did too."

"I didn't," She said adamantly. The alternative was too terrible to be true. What had she fought so long for if that was the case?

"Then why didn't you cry?" Her friend pressed. "Why aren't you grieving over him?"

"I don't know!" This was the same conclusion that Sakura reached each and every time she tried to sort out the mess in her head. "But I had to love him. I _had _to!" Some unbidden tears welled up in her eyes and she wiped them on her sleeve brusquely.

A comforting hand squeezed her shoulder. Sakura turned her head and saw Ino give her a sympathetic smile. "Maybe you fooled yourself into loving him."

She shook her head stubbornly. "No, I never gave up on Sasuke, just like Naruto never gave up on his promise to me." Queer eyes were gazing at her curiously, drilling holes into the back of her head. "What?" She snapped, exasperated.

"I think…" Ino started slowly, "That Naruto realized Sasuke was gone long before he killed him." Each syllable was emphatic, pronounced as if she were trying not to upset Sakura.

"Of course he didn't," Sakura insisted, "That's why he went so far for Sasuke, to bring him back to Konoha."

"Sakura…I think he knew you were stuck in the past, always trying to reach Sasuke." She could feel her world coming down around her. "You never realized that everything had changed and you never realized that you didn't love Sasuke anymore." Deep down, Sakura knew the truth of this. That she was not in love with Sasuke, but was always too afraid to admit it. She was scared to believe that nothing was the same. "Your denial sucked Naruto in too. He wasn't trying to fulfill that promise, he was fighting because _you _haven't let go yet."

Sakura dropped the last book into the bin—the truth overwhelming her."I need to be alone Ino, sorry." And she raced out of the building, hoping she would make it before she broke down. Hopping from rooftop to rooftop, Sakura angled herself towards her home, trying to hold the fragments of her mind together.

* * *

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" She spun around and found herself face to face with her blond teammate.

"Hey, Naruto. It's been awhile," Sakura mumbled, trying very hard to look past him and into the concrete wall behind.

"Yeah, tell me about it! I haven't seen you in three months," His cheek-to-cheek grin faded for a split-second, reappearing in a flash. But she had seen him falter, seen how hurt he was. Even his masks were not impenetrable.

"We both needed the time to deal with Sasuke's death," Sakura said lamely. She felt like a horrible teammate, abandoning Naruto for her own selfish reasons.

"Yeah, I guess." Naruto appeared unconvinced. Thankfully, he did not argue with her. "But everything is better now, right?"

She smiled softly, "Yeah, everything is back to normal." Or as normal as they could ever be.

Naruto cocked his head, examining her for a minute. He seemed…_different_…now. "Sakura-chan, let's go to Ichiraku's, I'm starving!" He started walking towards his favorite restaurant, a bounce in his step.

"Hey, wait!" Sakura said, jogging to catch up. "You're not asking me on a date this time, Naruto? You're losing your touch." She hid her surprise behind her teasing remark."

Naruto flashed his biggest grin. "Nothing's changed anyways, Sakura-chan."

She could hear the dual-meanings behind his words. Naruto believed she would always turn down his offer, that he would always pay for the ramen, that he would always walk her home as a friend, that she would always love Sasuke; and Sakura could not blame him because she had never given him any reason to doubt it.

"Naruto, you know what?" She desperately wanted to break out of the cage that she had lived in for so long.

"Wha—" Sakura interrupted him by kissing him soundly on the lips.

It was over as quickly as it started. Giddy with adrenaline, Sakura grabbed his hand and started running towards Ichiraku's. "You're paying for this date, Baka!"

Some things would never change.

* * *

Author's Note:

My first Naruto fanfiction is finally completed :). After reading tons of other Naruto x Sakura fictions, and running out of ideas for the Inheritance Cycle, I decided to try my hand at this fandom. Any criticism regarding characterization(and grammar) would be appreciated since I'm not _too _well-versed in Naruto jargon.

Please read and review :).


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